Rail-joint.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL M. WIXCEL, OF MARCUS, IOWA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '703,87 6, dated July1, 1902.

Application filed February 6,1902. Serial No. 92,763. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. WIXCEL, a citizen of the Unitedl States,and a resident of Marcus, in the county of Cherokee and State of Iowa,have invented a new and Improved Rail-Joint, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a means for fastening together the sections ofrailway-rails without involving the necessity of ish-plates antll boltsextending transversely through the rai s.

The invention comprises two peculiarlyshaped clamping sections adaptedto be wedged together with the rail-section between them and havingangle-bars bearing under the ball of the rail not only to hold thesections ofthe rail in proper position, but also securely-to brace thevarious parts.

The invention furtherinvolves certain novel constructions for preventingthe creeping of the rails.

This specificationY is an exact description of one example of myinvention, while the claims define the actual scope thereof. t

VReference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a sectional view of the invention on the lines l l of Figs.2 and 3. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one section of the fastening, and Fig.3 is a plan view of the other section.

a indicates the ball of the rail, Z) the web, and c the base-flange, allof which parts are of the usual construction, excepting that theybase-flange c has produced in its bottom a cavity c. A cavity c isproduced in each end portion of the rail, and the purpose of thecavities will be fully described hereinafter.

CZ and e indicate the two sections of thejoint or fastener. Thesesections are each formed with the upwardly andinwardly inclinedangle-anges d and e', the upper edges of which bear under the ball ofthe rail, as shown in Fig. l, and are carried on parts of thejoint-sections, which parts lie over the top of the base-flange c of therail. wThe sections ol and e of the joint have bottom portions cl2 ande2, which project under the base-ange and are formed with interlockingbeads e3 and dit These heads are set diagonally, as indicated by thedotted lines in Fig. l and by full lines in Figs. 2 and 3, so that asthe jointsections are moved together by sliding the one longitudinallyon the other the diagonal beads will draw the sections together,clamping them'rmly in place. The joint-sections are so shaped that thebeads d3 and e3 interlock in the peculiar manner shown in Fig. l, thusforminga secure connection between the two sections of the joint andalso a solid bearing underneath the flange of the rail. The base portionc2 of the sections e is formed with two upwardly-projecting studs e4,`which are adapted to set into the cavities c and prevent the creepingof the rails. This may be eifected by placing the section on the railwith a rocking movement, the cavities c' bef ing larger than the studsc4 to allow the operation.

In placing the parts in position the section c is first moved on therail-sections with the rocking movement described and the studs cLLengaged into the cavities c'. The section d is then slid longitudinallyon the section e, with the beads esvand d3 interlocked together. Thediagonal or tapered arrangement of these beads causes the sections to bedrawn forcibly toward each other, and thus the rail-sections are clampedfirmly between the jointsections. The section ol should be driven homeby a hammer or other tool, if necessary, and then the whole of the partssecured by spikes driven through the notches d4 and c5.

It will be observed that this joint holds the `rail-sections firmly andimmovably together forms of the invention as may lie within the intentof my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

IOO

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combinationwith a rail having a cavity in its bottoln,of two joint-seetionslyingone on each side of the rail and having longitudinally-extendinginterlocking parts to fasten them together, and an upwardly-projectedstnd on one joint-Section and adapted to enter the cavity, the cavitybeing larger than the stud, for the purpose specified.

2. A rai1-joint,eomprisingtwojoint-sections with means for fasteningthem together, said sections lying on opposite sides of the rails andhaving portions lying under the base-anges of the rails and also havingupwardly and inwardly inclined flanges which engage the rails, for thepurpose specified, and two stu ds carried on one fastener-section atopposite points thereon, said studs being located un'- der thebase-flanges of the rail-sections and being projected upward intocavities formed in the under faces of the base-anges of therail-sections. I

3. The combination with rail-sections, each having a cavity in itsbottom, of two jointsections lying one on each side of the railsectionsand having means for fastening them together, and two upwardly-projectedstuds on one joint-section, said studs being adapted respectively toenter the cavities in the said rail-sections, and said cavities beinglarger than the studs, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecitication inthejpresenee of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL M. WIXoEL.

Witnesses:

LOUIS GUND, JAMES GoLEY.

